When it comes to final year preparation, some students have been on it since first-year freshers week, whilst others have just realized that university (unfortunately?) doesn’t last forever. Apart from family members asking all the probing questions about your future, graduate life is something we can often forget about, especially in the bubble of St Andrews. For me, it hadn’t sunk in that I would be graduating until my friends started to apply for jobs, even then I still found it difficult to actually bite the bullet of starting the search. If you are in a similar situation, fear not… these are my (and my final-year friend’s) top tips for graduates. Don’t worry; I’m not going to mention LinkedIn… we all hear enough about that already!
Dedicate time to the search
The first and most challenging step is to dedicate time every day/week to research, apply, and plan for the future. It never feels good to push aside university work for something your final grade doesn’t depend on. But, I realized that one of the main reasons for coming to university is to get a dream job. So, not putting the additional time into future planning is doing our hours of hard work at the library a disservice.
Consider all your options
If you are in the ‘I have no idea what I want to do’ gang, most of us have been through the same phase, or are still feeling it now. Alongside graduate jobs and further education, you could start with something less of a commitment. This could include graduate internships that can just last the summer or travel and teaching abroad. These options can buy you time to decide on your next big move, give you work/life experience, and, most importantly, be fun! It will also make you feel like you are not signing away for the rest of your life; this is just a tiny direction change on the road to your big future! A crucial part of this point is that you do not need to be preparing for your graduation in the same way as everyone else. What drives them might not drive you, so do what feels right. This is usually something that makes you feel excited or inspired; something that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning.
Use your resources
Now that you know what you want to do next, the next big question might be, ‘Where do I start?’. First, if you wish to continue your education, the classic resource is the FindAPhD website, where you can fine-tune the available PhDs to show your best options. Alternatively, reach out to specialized supervisors you have found and see if there are availabilities in their groups. Or, you could ask your professors at St Andrews if you do not want to leave the bubble just yet. Other useful websites include GradCracker and Bright Network for jobs and internships. I recently signed up for the Bright Network notifications and so far they have been hitting the nail of the head. And, if you are free at 6 pm to join the fight for the careers appointments, then the careers centre is also available Monday-Friday. I found this useful for voicing my ideas to someone with experience and to check there wasn’t an unspoken graduation rule that I hadn’t heard about. Spoiler alert: there isn’t! Finally, companies like TravelGrad can organize your schools, visas, and accommodation for fool-proof teaching abroad schemes. All you have to do is graduate from university…
Reach out to people
On top of all this, it is always helpful to reach out to people. Whether that is friends, relatives, tutors, or doing a spot of networking. These people can give you advice and different perspectives that might help you in deciding what you want to do next, or, if you know what you want to do next they might be able to point you in the right direction. Basically, you are just getting your name out there. I signed up for the coffee connect via the careers center this semester and I was connected to someone who, despite not being in the field I am hoping to go into, has still been able to share years of relevant experience and tips with me, that I otherwise would have never learnt.
If you are in your final year, I am sending you graduate good vibes. Despite feeling like you are picking your life’s path, your choices now don’t need to be the be-all and end-all. Don’t jump into a decision because you feel like you should be setting the same goals as ‘everyone else’. So, take your time, breathe, and set your alarms to go onto the careers centre webpage at 6 p.m. Good luck!